Teen Back in Jail After Driving School Stolen School Bus Home: Cops

Receive the latest weird updates in your inbox

A Georgia teen was accused of stealing a school bus (not this one) after being released from jail.

Updated at 11:24 AM CDT on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013

Turn the bus around, it’s back to jail for this Georgia teen.

Jonathan Cole Collins, 18, took an interesting “joy ride” Sunday in Flintstone when police said he stole a elementary school bus and drove it home – simply because he was tired of walking and didn’t have a ride, WRCB reported.

Having just completed a two-week jail sentence for a misdemeanor marijuana charge, Collins had left his jail cell for mere minutes when he saw keys left in the ignition and decided to steal the school bus to drive himself the 9.5 miles home from jail, according to the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department.

The teenager now faces a felony theft charge for his alleged 20-minute ride on the $40,000 Catoosa County school bus.

“He saw the open bus door, the keys inside, and decided that he wasn’t going to walk anymore,” Fort Oglethorpe Detective James Leamon said. Unknown to Collins, however, was that as the bus ignition started the on-board security camera simultaneously turned on, and recorded the entire incident, police said.

Later when detectives found the school bus and identified Collins from the video, the teenager admitted to the whole thing, police said.

The Catoosa County Schools is now changing its policy for transferring keys among bus drivers after the incident.